The real state crisis in Madrid resulted in lots of urban empty spaces in the city centre, among other things. These plots occupied by buildings previously are sitting now, hoping for a better future and awaiting a buyer, are deteriorating and many are turning into real dumps where rubbish and rats coexist in perfect harmony.With the installation called Little lanterns for polluted spacesLittle lanterns for polluted spaceswe would like to suggest the idea that, maybe, these pieces of land now closed and dirty, could one day become public spaces used temporarily by people until the moment comes when the rightful owners do with it whatever they intend for them.

The intervention was carried out on 2 March on the fence of a private plot in Fuencarral street in central Madrid. We used 120 sanitary masks, linked together so that they resembled lanterns and they enabled us to provide sufficient light for a kind of polluted festival.

Just by chance? Two days after our intervention was published, the owners of the unbuilt plot started cleaning it up and putting up a brick wall around it. Although this was not what we wished for, we are sure that neighbours are over the moon as it has become more difficult for people to throw away rubbish there.